Erastus Murphy

As printed in 1906

ERASTUS MURPHY, a prominent farmer and old settler, residing on section 16, Berrien township, was born on section 15 of the same township, July 18, 1842. He represents an old family from the south. His father, Isaac Murphy, was a native of Hardin county, Virginia, and was reared in Greene county, Ohio, going there with his mother when a little lad of six years. On coming to Michigan he settled on Pokagon Prairie in Cass county when it was still largely a wild and undeveloped region. He remained there for only a short period, however, when he located in Berrien township, Berrien county, establishing his home on section 16, where he entered land from the government. He improved this place and was engaged in farming during his entire life transforming the wild and uncultivated tract into richly improved fields. He married Miss Eliza Jenkins, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Baldwin Jenkins, one of the pioneer settlers of Cass county, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac

Murphy became the parents of thirteen children, but only seven reached adult age.

Erastus Murphy is the second of the living children, and was reared in Berrien township, where he has resided continuously save for a brief period of two years spent in Galien township. He pursued his education in log schoolhouses common at that early day, where he mastered the elementary branches of English learning. The duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields claimed his attention in his youth, and he remained at home until his marriage, which important event in his life was celebrated on the 19th of April, 1866, Miss Mary Johnson becoming his wife. She was a daughter of John and Anna (Lybrook) Johnson, who were natives of Virginia, and after residing for some time in Ohio became early residents of Berrien county, Michigan. Mrs. Murphy was also born in Berrien township and was the sixth of eight children, five daughters and three sons. Unto our subject and his wife have been born six children: Ada, now the wife of W. H. Patterson, of Berrien Springs; Henry C, a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, being secretary and bookkeeper for the E. H. Eldredge Lumber Company; Lena A., the wife of Frank W. Miller, of South Boardman, Michigan; Myron E., who operates the home farm; Sylvia M., the wife of V. J. Blanchard, of Berrien Center; and Cordelia, the wife of John A. Walter, of Silver Lake, Indiana.

Following his marriage Mr. Murphy continued to reside upon the old homestead until about 1875, when he located on the farm where he now resides. He has made all of the improvements here, building the house and barns and clearing the land. He has now lived here for almost a third of a century and has carried on his farming with good results. He owns eighty acres in the farm upon which he resides and forty acres of the old homestead. He has also frequently been called upon to settle states, a fact which indicates the confidence and trust reposed in his business integrity and capability. In politics he is a stanch and unfaltering Republican, active in the work of his party. He was elected supervisor in 1900 and again in 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905, serving in all for five years. He has been justice of the peace for sixteen years, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial, so that he has *'won golden opinions from all sorts of people." He has been township clerk for three years and served for four years as township treasurer and the various official duties that have devolved upon him have always been promptly and faithfully performed. He belongs to the Grange and to the Odd Fellows lodge at Berrien Center. For fourteen years he served as school director and has always taken an active part in educational affairs and in public interests relating to the general good. He has been a life-long resident of the county and has been actively, honorably and helpfully associated with its development.

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.